March Reads 2025 and settling back in to life!

 Hi! Hello friends, thanks for coming back!

My life was turned upside down for most of Feburary due to flooding in my house and no real access to TV, but this actually ended up being a good thing for me. I started reading, and I got through more than I have in a long time, and accepted that I need to read differently due to my ADHD. I read fastest when I listen to audiobooks, and this is a big part of it. I finished 2 series and started several more!

Most of my life has been caring for others and preparing for a licensure test in May. I let myself read a ton in March, but I will slow down the rate of book completion in April. Life is slowing down to focus, because I went into a career that has one really difficult licensure test, the toughest in the masters-level of counseling. I took it once already, and I didn't pass, but I have a better idea of what the test will be like it when I retake it.

Also, the kitties are settling in and we are family now! I love them and they are my babies, officially. It's so nice to have cats around the house again, they bring so much life to it.

So, let's get down to the reading I did in March of 2025! As always, I do not link to high-corporate websites like B&N and Amazon, but I do link to an independent bookstore you can order the books from and get them shipped to you called Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee. I do not work for them, and I do not get any kind of money for linking to them or free books, but this to assist with keeping independent bookselling alive in our country. Every book I review is a book I have either purchased new, used, or in ebook form, or have borrowed from my local public library. Let's pay authors for all the labor they went through to write these books and don't pirate, please!

Updates

I've been gone for a while, really wrapping myself up in graduate school, but I wanted to let my readers know how I've been.

There are updates (always) on my Facebook page. You can send me a friend request here and follow my news on my page here. As always, I'm on Instagram @eleniwriting as well.

One of the biggest (and worst) things that has happened to me in the last year has been losing my father. I'm still getting over it. Daddy and I were pretty close, but the end was pretty awful and I know he's in a better place now. I'm not ready to talk about how I'm feeling in public, yet, but he was important.

I'm getting used to the workload at my job and at school. This year so far, I have left off reading a lot of fictional books, but started out again. I'm enjoying reading, even though it's not at the rate I was reading previously.

Sound of Silence Release Blitz with Ali Winters

Hi everyone! Long time no see! I signed up for a book blitz, and it looks sooo good! I got my copy and I can't wait to read it! You love a good romance? And dystopian (hey, why not, I wrote HOME, of course!)? This book book is right up your alley! Read more about it under the cut and order your copy today!

$100 eGift card Bookstagram Giveaway!

December 16th - 21st

Multi-Bookstagrammer Giveaway

Win a $100 egift card to Amazon! My friends and I are sponsoring a giveaway, you can enter under the break, and it's just in time for Christmas!

HOME is out for sale!

Y'ALL!!!

It happened! My book is out on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and a plethora of other websites for purchase!

This has been a life-long dream for me since I was a girl and making pretend books on the typewriter my Mema gave me.

Where you can purchase HOME:

Amazon.com

barnesandnoble.com

iTunes

Kobo.com

Smashwords.com

Angus & Robertson Bookworld (Australia)

Indigo (Canada)

Inktera

Blog Tour and Giveaway for the Dark One's Mistress!

A creepy Gothic Romance below the cut!

Cover Reveal Blog Tour!

Wanna see something cool? Really cool? Before it comes out to the public?

You've got two chances! Find out what they are below the break!

ARCs and book covers and things

Okay, so today I sent out some ARCs, or Advance Reading Copies. I'm hoping this gets the ball rolling on the excitement concerning HOME's debut. I had to bug some of my fellow writers for author blurbs so I could either 1. put them on the book's cover or 2. put them on my website. I freaked out, feeling like a jerk and that I was being obnoxious, but then I realized the answer will always be no if you never ask. Also, "no" is the worst thing that someone can say if you ask them to do a favor for you. So, I asked away and was surprised by the reaction and the number of authors who agreed.

First Official Appearance!

First off, Happy Birthday to my Aunt Madge Lewis! I'm not going to tell you how old she is, she's Southern Lady, that'd be like asking her how much she weighs! 😜 HappyBirthday, Jojo! 🎉🎊

I hope you are all enjoying fall as much as I am here in Middle Tennessee and that you are reading tons of GREAT books! I started a new job, and the first few weeks were a little difficult to adjust to, but I think it's all going to work out. A friend of mine wanted to do a group read of the Anne of Green Gables series, so right now, I'm reading those novels all over again, and I can see a lot of things I didn't when I was 11 and reading them for myself.

This is the Harvest season when we're getting towards what I call "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year", which is Halloween through New Years. I love these Holidays because they're 1. so much fun (Halloween), 2. family time (Thanksgiving in the US), and 3. a time of great love and thanks (Christmas and New Year's). I think this is wonderful energy during this time of year and we can all feel it. Yes, I'm one of those basic white girls who loves Fall! 😜 But something else is coming up the weekend of November 4th-6th... and it's a VERY big deal!

The great news was that I was invited to take part in the WordCrafts Press booth at the Springhouse Artisan Fair November 4th-6th! My very first public appearance at an event as an author! 😍 My publisher invited me so that I can sign swag for HOME, and speak to attendees about my books, and help the other authors at WordCrafts Press promote THEIR books as well! Hopefully, there will be cover art for my book by then, and I'm planning on having bookmarks and postcards-- which I will personally sign just for you! Mark your calendars if you want to meet me-- and a whole lot of other incredible artists, too!

• When: Saturday, November 5th, 6:00 – 8:00 P.M.

• Where: Springhouse Worship and Arts Center; 14119 Old Nashville Hwy; Smyrna, TN

• Cost: Free!

Free, what a deal, right? So many conferences and conventions, you have to PAY to get in, but not this one! Remember also: autographed books make great Christmas presents! I hope to see you there!

Beneath the Void (Fighting Chance #2) by Elisa Dane book review, excerpt, and giveaway

Hey y'all! Hope you had a great August! I'm personally SOOOO ready for the fall, so I am welcoming September (although it's not going to cool off in Middle TN until at least October, but oh well...). Call me a Basic White Girl, but I love fall, because it's the promise of so many things for me, energy-wise. I'm taking my test for my new job's license today, so wish me luck and good energy! Ack!

If you can  tell by this book cover that premiered on my blog about a month ago, my friend Elisa Dane has a new book coming out in her Fighting Chance series, Beneath the Void, and TODAY'S THE DAY! I got the opportunity to read an advanced copy and this my review beneath the link below. There's also a cool excerpt and a giveaway! I hope you all enjoy!

Blog Tour and Giveaway! Derailed (The Obscured Series) by C.M. Boers

Sorry I've been missing for a few weeks, I'm passing a test for a license, and it's taking up ALL MY TIME (Oh. My. GOSH!). Hopefully, I will pass soon and I will be able to rock this out. I've got some good news of my own, coming out soon, that I can't wait to share. SOON, my pretties!

As for today... New book tour from YA Book Tours! The last book in the Obscured series by C.M. Boers is out and ready to read and buy! I got my copy (rock ON!! Awesome, right?) I hope you enjoy it. It's under the cut below!

Beneath the Void Cover Reveal and giveaway!

Hello, Readers! I'm so excited to be a part of this cover reveal, because this is a dear friend's next book! The Fighting Chance series is so important to bring up awareness about gun violence in our society, and especially in our schools, so I was so thrilled to be a part of In the After as a beta reader and supporter (I was even in the acknowledgments! :D).  So, the sequel to In the After is coming up soon, and I can't wait to share it with you!

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Beneath the Void by Elisa Dane

presented by Swoon Romance!

Be on the look out for this upcoming book, and be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post below the break!

Dark Dreams and Dead Things Tour, Review, and Giveaway!

Hey everybody! I've got some exciting news regarding my book this week (soon to come) but for now, I'm posting a review of Martina McAtee's Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things in honor of the release of the sequel, Dark Dream and Dead Things. And, there's a nifty giveaway, too!

Review below:

Black Five by J. Lynn Bailey Blog Tour! (And Giveaway!)

Just got a copy of Black Five by J. Lynn Bailey, and it's now on my TBR list! It looks really spooky and I can't wait to read it. Here's more on it beneath the link!

Rough Choices Being for the Best I Can Be

While writing Home, it felt like I was just writing something a muse was whispering my ear. It didn't feel 100% like my own story, but it is.
When I finally found a press that would publish me, I was elated. At the time, I had no professionally published credits to my name. I had no real experience. I was still learning, as one ought to do in writing.
Recently, I sent a new draft in with a little expansion of the story, and I waited, and a week and half later, he responded to me with an email telling me I was good writer and storyteller, but he wanted to know if I just wanted to get this story out with a lovely surface-edit or did I want to make it a great story with a difficult, harsh edit?
As someone who's been writing most of my life (since age nine) and suffers from debilitating perfectionism, I want nothing more to be a great writer. I know that my book is going to down in the Library of Congress forever and it would forever be a mark of what kind of person I was and what I believed in.

So, I chose the tougher route. It meant it would take longer to edit, and it would take longer to polish. Yeah, it stinks that I have to wait for my first novel to come out. But, I've been writing for twenty-seven years, a few more months aren't going to kill me. I know better than to write for the money, which would have pushed me into the soft edit. Will there be mistakes in the manuscript? Maybe. Will there be things I regret later about the book? Maybe. But I don't want to go ahead and rush-publish without getting the most of those taken care of as possible.
Personally, I hate it when I read books that start out a series so wonderfully, and then they go to seed later on.  Most of the time, this is because authors start on Level 2 or Level 3 editing, which is you either do the edits you signed the contract for, or you don't get published and you have to give back any advance money. But after a few hit books, some authors get put on Level 1 editing, which is basically, "Hey, you're a cash cow, we just want you to get the book out under OUR publishing house because we know your name will make money. You don't have to listen to the editors, but we'll give you an edit anyway." It basically when publishers get nervous that their hit writers will run to another press that offers more money (oh, I wish I got that!).
I don't know if my writing career is going to take off. I don't know if I'll be a hit writer. I learned the hard way: don't write for the money. This industry is absolutely difficult to succeed in, just as difficult as the acting or the music industry (both of which, I've had a taste of). You're lucky if you make super-loyal fans (and I hope one day I can say that). I personally fear that I'd be selling out (if by luck, I had some success and got on Level 1 editing) if I said, "Hey, no big deal, I have the option to not to accept this edit, or that one, or THAT one!" and put out something less than my best.
I fear that ego. I don't ever want that ego. Please slap me if I ever brag about taking the easy way out instead of the hard way.
So, Home might be out in the fall or winter of 2016. Maybe in early 2017. But I damn sure am going to try to present my best for all of you.

Shadow by Christi J. Whitney Blog Tour and Giveaway! (THE ROMANY OUTCASTS #2)

Hey guys! I don't normally do book tours for the second book in a series if I haven't already done the first, but this one looked great and I am so excited to share it with y'all! This series has Secretive Gypsies, Romance, and Magic-- and these are a few of my favorite things! I am so excited about this one and I hope you are, too!

There Once Were Stars by Melanie McFarlane Blog Tour Book Release and Giveaway!

I know I've done a lot of book releases and blog tours this month, but I promise I'll write a cool personal blog soon for you all. In the meantime, here's another giveaway and new book that I'm super excited about that I got to read! Check it out!

Crazy, Stupid Fauxmance by Shellee Roberts Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Cover Reveal: Fighter Girl by Kathryn James with Giveaway

 

Welcome to the cover reveal for

Fighter Girl by Kathryn James

presented by Swoon Romance!

Be on the look out for this upcoming New Adult title!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Book Release and Giveaway: Fear My Mortality by Everly Frost

 

Happy Release Day to

Fear My Mortality by Everly Frost

Join us in celebrating this new release from Month9Books!

Enter the giveaway found at the end of the post.

Happy Book Birthday, Everly!